


Distracting Thoughts

by Annide



Category: Limitless (TV)
Genre: Crack, Happy, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-07
Updated: 2016-05-07
Packaged: 2018-06-06 21:14:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6770131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Annide/pseuds/Annide
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Brian takes too much NZT and suddenly gains the ability to hear thoughts.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Distracting Thoughts

**Author's Note:**

> Set somewhere between 1x07 Brian Finch's Black Op and 1x17 Close Encounters

                The last time Brian had tried to get a day off to do whatever he wanted while on NZT, it didn't exactly work out. He was kidnapped by the CIA for an operation that didn't exactly go as planned either. This time, Brian was determined to succeed, he even took his NZT before Mike and Ike came to get him. Maybe the pill screwed with his sick appearance, or maybe they didn't believe it a second time, since they now knew the first was fake. Whatever didn't work, Brian ended up at the CJC like every other day, except he was already on NZT.

                They all went to the file room, as usual, and Mike gave him his pill. Brian froze. He stared at the translucent little thing, wondering how he could possibly manage not to take it with these two looking right at him. Even on NZT, he couldn't figure out a way. He would have to take it, maybe he could simply hide it under his tongue or something and not actually swallow it. Mike and Ike would look elsewhere once they started working and he could put it in his pocket. But Rebecca showed up. They had a case and they needed to start right away.

                "Have you not taken this yet? What are you waiting for?" She paused as she seemed to notice something in his expression. "Is something wrong?"

                "Nope." Brian simply answered as he threw the pill up in the air, caught it in his mouth and swallowed it. He hoped the double dose wouldn't cause some kind of a problem, or be so strong that he'd get side effects despite the immunity shot still being active in his system. What had he done?

                Rebecca was telling him about the case already when the second pill kicked in. He got too distracted to keep listening, but he knew he would be able to retrieve all that information from his memory later on. The reason for his distraction was thoughts. The combination of both pills seemed to have enhanced his brain further and he could now perceive thoughts.

                _Why do I even bother explaining all this? He doesn't even look like he's listening to me. But if I call him up on it, he'll do his annoying NZT thing and look into his memory for everything I said that he didn't really listen to._

It was an interesting thing to learn that Rebecca noticed when he did that, maybe he should try being more subtle from now on. When they went on the field before lunch, Brian thought it felt intrusive and uncomfortable to hear everything that was going on inside people's head. So he made up an excuse to stay in the file room for the rest of the day. This idea completely backfired.

                If he'd thought hearing strangers' thoughts had been weird, it was nothing compared to the awkwardness of spending the afternoon with two people he saw everyday and being aware of absolutely everything that was going on inside their minds. It was also incredibly distracting. It started small. They were talking and Brian laughed, nothing out of the ordinary. What was though, was his ability to hear Ike's thoughts at this moment.

                _He's laughing again. I hate when he laughs, it's almost as bad as his stupidly adorable smile. And he does this all the time._

_Jason's making that face again, I wonder if Brian noticed this. He must have, he's on NZT._

                Brian thought that was weird. He immediately looked into his memory for that face he remembered having seen before, but he'd never realized until now Ike made it every time Brian smiled, laughed and did various other things. Ike never looked at anyone else like this, at least in Brian's presence. How had he missed this? Mike was right, he was on NZT, he should've been able to notice these things, if he wasn't usually so self-involved.

                Later, Brian was making craft all over the room, telling Mike and Ike what he needed and where, trying to explain at the same time what he was doing. Rebecca arrived and Brian jumped on the desk to sit where he could tell her what they'd been doing without being too much in the way of her seeing everything. Doing that proved harder than he'd thought as he could still hear Ike thinking, louder than everyone else.

                _He's jumping to sit on the desk, seriously? Does he have to do everything in the most attractive way possible? Who is he trying to impress?_

                Something was going on here. Brian was pretty sure everyone had figured out by now that he liked Ike, he thought it was pretty obvious. But from what he'd just heard, it seemed Ike didn't. Why would he have? The person you have a crush on is always the last one to notice, otherwise it would be too easy.

                _Here we go again, Jason and Brian, staring at each other. Third-wheel should be in my job description at this point._

_Are these two making loving eyes at each other again? We're trying to crack a murder case, how is this remotely romantic? How does Darryl deal with this all day long?_

Did Mike and Rebecca think this was a two-sided thing? Brian felt like an idiot. But then again, if Ike was his crush that was to realize last about Brian's feelings for him, it made sense that the opposite situation would occur as well. Now wasn't the time though and Brian shook his head to focus back on the case. Rebecca was right. Someone was dead, it had to be more important than whatever else was going on in this room.

                They somehow managed to figure out who the killer was and Rebecca left to make the arrest. Brian, Mike and Ike were left to clean up. It involved a lot of moving around and Brian could feel eyes on him.

                _That's it, I'm done for today. I can't stay in this room alone with these two any longer. This isn't cleaning up, this is just witnessing two people trying to stare at each other without the other knowing. I'll just wait for them outside, they probably won't notice anyway, they're way too busy. Not doing work, once again I've done more than both of them together._

                Brian felt bad and decided to speed up the process after Mike left. The faster they finished this, the faster he could go home and stop being in this awkward situation, right? So he ran around taking things off the walls and ceiling. He walked over the desk instead of going around, both because it was faster and because it seemed like a cool thing to do. Meanwhile, Ike had stopped working entirely and was just looking at him.

                _What is he doing? Are you kidding me? He must know I like him and he just wants to torture me. Why else would he do something like that?_

                Brian laughed, it was stronger than him. Ike suddenly realized Brian could see him staring, blushed a little and went back to taking things off the wall, his back to the rest of the room to hide his face. Brian almost wished he did it purposefully, he just loved how adorable Ike looked when he was embarrassed. He walked to him and stopped right behind him, close enough for Ike to feel his presence.

                "It's gonna sound incredibly cheesy, but red looks really good on you."

                "What?" Ike answered as he turned, his nose almost touching Brian's.

                _Why is he standing so close? My heart is beating so hard, he can probably feel it._

"You know, Ike, I feel like I can trust you, so I'll tell you a little secret, alright?"

                "Sure."

                _He's just standing there so close to me and he's not moving. He's trying to kill me._

Brian laughed again, which made Ike look even more confused about the situation. The only time Ike ever looked more irresistible than this to Brian was when he was worried about him, who was having NZT side effects at the time. Brian decided to tell him everything, but did so as fast as he could.

                "I had an extra NZT pill and I took it before you and Mike came to my apartment cause I thought I could get off work pretending to be sick, but it didn't work and then I couldn't figure out how to not take the pill Mike handed me without anyone noticing so I took it and I started being able to hear everybody's thoughts which made the day kinda awkward but very interesting."

                Ike was frozen in place, clearly shocked and unable to process what all of this meant.

                "Also, I should mention I'm glad this happened cause now I know I can do this."

                Brian grabbed Ike's neck and kissed him. He could feel Ike's relief right before he wrapped his arms around Brian's waist, pulled him even closer and kissed him back.


End file.
